Viridian Turns Oak Truck Decks into Flooring

Red and white oak with lots of miles on it constitutes the latest offering from Viridian Reclaimed Wood. The Portland, OR lumber source introduced Truck Deck, a line of domestically sourced flooring and paneling derived from reclaimed red oak and white oak truck decking.

“The giant tractor-trailers used to move goods from coast to coast typically contain wide planks of heavy oak decking,” explains co-owner Joe Mitchoff, “but the hard-driven miles take their toll on these truck decks. Even though they are plenty thick, they have to be replaced at regular intervals. We upcycle them into flooring and panels of unparalleled character.”

Mitchoff says it is Viridian’s most rustic product by far. Its top face has deep gouges, a thick patina and jet-black openings where the bolts were literally torched out of their holes. The underside also can be used; it is less rough and features rust bands where it rested on a truck’s metal trailer frame.

Viridian squares up the edges and puts it through a brushing process to remove loose dirt and major catches, but Truck Deck will require additional sanding on site if it is going to be touched or brushed against. It is ¾” (or 1”, if requested) thick, 5-½” wide, comes in 3’ to 6’ lengths, with a Class A fire rating. The flooring and paneling are designed to be face nailed or glued and are available prefinished or unfinished.

Since 2004, Viridian has made a specialty of reclaiming wood, but has approached it a little different than some suppliers to this segment.

“Most reclaimed lumber companies find their inspiration in old barns and schoolhouses,” says co-founder Joe Mitchoff. Instead, Mitchoff and his partners prowled shipyards, with the idea to rescue wood used in shipping and crating, sourced from all over the world.

“Wood from far off ports arrives daily as shipping pallets and crates, but it’s extremely difficult to recycle,” Mitchoff says. “Through years of trial and error we pioneered a method for up-cycling these dockside discards.”

One example is European Beech flooring reclaimed from beech shipping crates. The European Beech is derived from large-scale crates used to ship wind turbines and other steel cargoes from northern Europe and reclaimed locally from the Port of Vancouver.

“The grain pattern in this beech flooring is more subtle than our other reclaimed flooring options,” Mitchoff said. “Mostly it’s mellow golds, tans and peaches, and black veining in some boards that creates a marbled look. Small iridescent figuring adds another level of depth to this incredibly durable wood.” The flooring is milled in thicknesses of ¾”, in 2½”, 3”, 4”, 5” and 6” widths.